In 1946, Life Magazine declared, "Dashiell Hammett's Fat Man is suave, witty, hardboiled and provides better than average radio entertainment." By 1948, The Fat Man was one of the top 10 shows on Friday nights, with more than six million listeners every week. And, starring as Brad Runyon, the "Fat Man" of the title, was J. Scott Smart, a 270 pound actor who sounded every pound the part.

In 1954, a revival of the program made its way "down under," starring New Zealand actor Lloyd Berrell as Runyon, with American actor Harp McGuire as Lieutenant MacKenzie. Until now, none of these Australian Fat Man shows have ever been released commercially in the United States.

This collection includes four original U.S. broadcasts, four original Australian episodes, and a Program Guide by radio historian and William Nadel.